Italian Sausage & Summer Garden Stew

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups fresh okra, sliced
• 1 package Italian sausage links, sliced
• 28 oz diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup water
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Serve:
  Spoon the stew over cooked rice and enjoy1 tsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• Cooked rice, for serving
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  

Directions

1. Brown the sausage:
   Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add the sliced sausage and cook for about 3 minutes per side until browned. Remove the sausage and set aside.
2. Sauté aromatics:
   Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3. Deglaze and simmer:
   Add the diced tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the bay leaf, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, coconut sugar, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add vegetables and beans:
   Stir in the zucchini, okra, cannellini beans, and water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Finish with sausage:
   Add the browned sausage back to the pot. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until heated through.
6. Serve:
   Spoon the stew over cooked rice and enjoy!